Bureaucrat Beat: Spring Out! Call the Whitehouse and Two Letters

Tomorrow – the first day of spring. We in the Bureaucrat Beat newsroom, who rather like dark, dank newsrooms, actually look forward to the renewal of life this time of year. Even we weary of the thick and somewhat depressive air of winter. Cynics though we may be, joy starts to seep in through the cracks in our doors and windows. We suggest that on the cusp of spring, you pick up the phone and call the President’s Comment and Messages Office. It’s the place where you can lodge your gripes about anything. This will let joy into your office and whatever you think into the Whitehouse office.

They need to listen more, and we can help by telling them what we think. We’re going to make it a weekly ritual to email the Whitehouse with our thoughts. Maybe we’ll just send Bureaucrat Beat to the Whitehouse Comments Office. If you want to call this office, dial 202-456-1111. If you want to email, send your thoughts to comments@whitehouse.gov

It will, at least, feel good to tell the Whitehouse what you think. On that note, whadda ya think of this? Should the government tax your favorite snack if it adds to obesity? Some in the government have given it thought. Food prices generally have gone up and up, thanks to the high price of gas and diesel. It all factors into breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oil companies really stick it to us, don’t they?

So do the pharmaceutical companies. A new report from AARP tracked 220 brand-name medications commonly used. All but four increased in price by about 7.4%, more than double the rate of inflation. Why the increase? Profit, no doubt. AARP reminds seniors that generic drugs cost less and do the same thing as name-brands.

Did you see the first installments of the HBO miniseries John Adams? Wow. Talk about drama. The colonies had to decide to fight England or not. If it were not, we would still toady up to the throne today, or worse. They gave us liberty, so let’s use it!! Dial the Whitehouse, now! And, watch the rest of John Adams to find out how brave men and women really did give us the luxuries of freedom. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear politicians talk about the natural rights of man and the fight to preserve them instead of men who play it safe for personal profit?

And, now a couple of letters. The first from Colleen Hampton of Independence. It goes like this:

Last February 21st I bought a winter coat from ebay. The coat was processed in Jacksonville, FL on the 24, processed in Bell, CA on the 26th, then processed in Santa Clarita, CA on the 28. All well and fine, it might make it to Independence on March 3. Not the case. Santa Clarita sent it back to Bell on March 5th which sent it back to Florida. Here it is March 10th. I received a call from the seller saying it was returned and that she had shipped it to this address. It was my address and was printed out from paypal of which I checked and it was right. You can’t even get your mail when the address is right! Last January I didn’t receive 4 pieces of important mail. A mortgage statement for my income taxes; two credit card statements of which cost me $80.00 in late fees, and my propane bill. I talked to the post mistress saying “I just want to make you aware that I’m not receiving my mail”. She told me that “a lot of people didn’t receive their mail in January it just simply didn’t arrive”.

I find this odd because some folks here in town where nice enough to bring my propane bill over to my house. I bet the pony express did a better job, even for back in the day. It’s gotten to the point I won’t even go into the post office. I try to pay all my bills on line and use the USPS as little as possible; they are not to be trusted, like so much of our illustrious government. And to think, they think they deserve a raise. I don’t see how this could be! If I where that incompetent I would be fired from my job! But know that it isn’t just locally it’s through-out the good ole US of A.

I say quit using the post office as much as you can then maybe with the lack of customers they will be forced to look at the problem. Or maybe not, I don’t think the government can see themselves as a problem. I’m not sure the A in US of A stands for America it think maybe it stands for our government.

Sincerely,

Colleen Hampton
Independence, CA

Thanks for that, Colleen.

Moving right along to Stan Smith. He has taken the Adopt-A-Whatever program to new heights:

Benett,

Heard the news this morning and the item about Mammoth having a new Adopt-A-Hydrant program to help keep snow cleared away in their safety effort. After careful consideration, how about:

Adopt-A-Propane Tank

Adopt-A-Storm Drain

Adopt-A-Bus Stop

Adopt-A-Trash Can

Adopt-A-Bear

programs??

Think of the number of volunteers out there busy with cheery attitudes and the amount of government money saved in the effort??

In a somewhat more serious vein, has anybody suggested a “hit squad” in Mammoth Lakes and/or Bishop to tackle graffiti as and when it occurs? Is it also possible to get the schools and PD to mandate some of the Saturday morning community service work include a youth workforce to remove their peers’ handiwork?

Stan Smith
Bishop

Sounds like a plan, Stan.

With that, this is Benett Kessler signing off for Bureaucrat Beat where we await your word on our lives in the Eastern Sierra and beyond.

About Benett Kessler

Always interested in writing, Benett was the editor of her high school paper, proceeded to the University of Chicago and then out West where she and John Heston formed Eastern Sierra News Service in Inyo County. They fed film to KNXT in Los Angeles and co-wrote and produced the first daily radio news in the Eastern Sierra. Their work ranged from a published news magazine to the first television newscast. They continued to provide videotaped news to KABC and other news outlets. After a seat on the Mammoth Times board and work as newswriter, Benett formed her own company, Sierra Broadcasters and launched an FM radio station, now KSRW and a broadcast television station, KSRW-TV33. The latest addition - Sierrawave.net. Her company motto: Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.